Left Behind
by NephilimEQ
Summary: Lord Elrond warned his daughter against Aragorn for a very good reason...experience. Does that make him a hypocrite? PLEASE READ & REVIEW! Reviews are like candy! So yummy!
1. Chapter 1

**Translation: **

**Amin mela lle - "I love you"**

** Kalian en' coia - "Light of life"**

** Ilyamenie - "Always"**

* * *

**Left Behind**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Lord Elrond said nothing as he slipped through the silent halls of his home.

In a show of fondness, he let his hand run along the wall, briefly remembering Arwen growing up on those halls, so many hundreds of years ago when she was young.

He felt a pang of guilt against his consciousness as he thought about what he had told her, how he had denied her request for staying because of Aragorn…when he, himself, wanted nothing more than to stay for the woman he loved.

She was human.

He heard a soft shuffle behind him, and he turned…and a faint, uncharacteristic smile crossed his lips.

"You came."

She nodded and reached out her hand towards him, and he gladly took it in his own and used it to draw her forward against him.

"Elidea…how can I leave you?" He ran a hand through her thick brunette hair, capturing her simple hazel eyes with his own deep blue ones. "I cannot be selfish, I never have been, but I look at you and only see the woman that I cannot live without."

Elidea gave him a soft smile.

She was not a stunning beauty, but she was perfect in his eyes, and her simple, dark gray robes were the only adornment she'd ever needed.

Where she only saw plain, dark brown hair, he saw lustrous thick, dark locks. Where she saw only muddy colored eyes that could never make up their mind on their color, he saw golden-green hazel, hawk-like eyes. He saw beauty where she could see none.

But of course, she could only see beauty in him and saw none of the perceived flaws that he felt he had.

They had met on accident.

He had been visiting the kingdom of Rohan some twenty years ago and had met her at a banquet, where she was the daughter of a visiting dignitary from one of the Northern lands.

He had seen her…and then he'd fallen in love with her.

She was not a normal human, but one of the Dunnedein, blessed with long life, and she carried her age well. At forty-three, she looked to be twenty-three. She was distantly related to Aragorn, but it mattered not to Elrond.

She was everything to him.

Ever since his wife had been killed, he thought that he would never love again. But Elidea had captured his heart.

"You can," she whispered to him, as though sensing his disparaging thoughts. "You _can_ live without me. You must."

He shook his head.

"No…I can't. For if I do, I will be in pain the rest of my days. And unlike yours," he added, "They will last considerably longer."

She let out a small laugh and then slid her arms around her waist, gently pillowing her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. He was so strong, but so weak. His arms slid around her shoulders and she felt him cling to her as though she would disappear the instant that he let her go.

"Elidea…please come." He then offered another solution. "Or, let me stay."

A sad smile crossed her pale lips, and she shook her head.

"No, Elrond…you must go. For your people. If nothing else, then for your daughter. You know it…and I know it."

She lifted her eyes up to his, raising her head from his chest and reaching one arm from around his waist to brush the tips of her fingers over his mouth.

He pressed his lips into her touch and she let out a soft sigh, realizing that it would be one of the last times that she would ever feel his lips caress her skin again. One of the last times that she would ever feel his touch.

"I will miss you," she said, her voice low and her tone soft, but he could hear the faint strain as well. She did not want him to go, no matter how many times she told him otherwise. She was actually desperate for him to stay, or to go with him to the west, to the Undying Lands. She was willing to leave everyone and everything she knew behind, simply so that she could stay with him, and they both knew it. But they also both knew that it could not happen.

He gently clasped his hands around her wrists and withdrew his mouth from her fingers, trying to tell her with his eyes the words that he could not convey.

Deep blue met hazel once again, and she felt her heart break a little more.

"_Amin mela lle_," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath of sound, and she heard his sharp intake of breath at her words.

Gently, her wrists still carefully ensconced by his hands, he lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across the backs of her fingers, his gaze never leaving hers, her words lingering in the air between them, traveling on her breath to his, so that he could practically taste her words, and he then returned them to her.

"_Amin mela lle, kalian en' coia._"

A bittersweet smile crossed her lips and she felt the tears that she'd been holding back escape in a single tear down her cheek.

Her eyes burned with the effort of not letting any more tears escape, and she trembled as he lifted a finger to her jaw line and traced the trail that the tear had taken back up her cheek, and she tightened her reserve even further to keep from crying at the simple, beautiful act.

"Elrond," she said, unable to bear the silence. "My heart is yours. _Ilyamenie._"

He nodded and leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against her lips.

"And mine, yours, Elidea. _Ilyamenie_."

He gently released her and then pulled back, leaving a space between them that felt as though it could be miles.

Realizing that if he lingered any longer, he would not be able to turn away, he turned and began to walk down the darkened walkway, back to his own personal chambers…but in a moment of sheer and utter weakness, he turned back to her, grabbed her arm and pulled her up against him for a hard kiss.

She arched into him, her mouth parting beneath his as easily as flower petals opening to the morning sun, causing him to indulge and slip his tongue between her lips.

Elidea held onto him, trying to keep up with his ever-searching tongue, and she groaned into his mouth at the sensations that he evoked.

The elven lord was her weakness and he knew every part of her, intimately, and he was exploiting her weakness to the best of his ability at that very moment.

It was ironic that his personal moment of weakness was also one of absolute triumph as Elidea let herself succumb to the passion of his advances. One hand had slid into her hair; the other one had slid around her waist and held her tight to him, not letting a single breath of air between their bodies.

Their tongues tangled and their fires burned, and she took note of every taste, texture, and smell as it happened.

It was much like the first time that they'd made love.

Having only known him as a…significant other, she'd had certain notions of how he would be in the bedroom. She'd been completely wrong.

Elidea remembered entering the room with him, slightly shy, expecting him to be reserved, quiet, slow, achingly tender, but instead he had surprised her by initiating everything. He had been animated, unabashedly vocal, ruthlessly unrelenting, and fiercely passionate. Their first time together had been as ardent as two wildcats in a tussle, with bruises and scratches lingering after, a bittersweet reminder of their first time, and she had enjoyed every second of it.

And now here he was, yet again, showing his other side, one that he kept carefully hidden from everyone else in his life.

Her own hands were not idle; one was wrapped around the back of his neck, the other pressed against his shoulder blade, absently running over his back, silently urging him to continue.

However, after a few short, blissful seconds, he pulled back, letting air between them once more.

They rested their foreheads against one another and took a moment to catch their breath. His fingers trailed lazily down from her hair and then gently cupped her jaw, lifting her eyes to his, breaking the brief contact of skin between them.

"Elidea," he said, his voice low and hoarse with emotion. "I will never forget you…"

As he said those words, she knew that _this_ was the final goodbye. This was the moment that they would truly part ways. This was the end.

She let out a soft sigh, and placed her fingers over his, where they still rested on her face.

"Nor I you," she replied, the same tone in her voice as had been in his.

Gently, he leaned down and placed one last kiss across her lips, feather light, as though she would bruise at the slightest touch, and she felt the tears enter her eyes once more…but this time she let them fall.

He turned and left, disappearing down the walkway, back to his rooms, and she felt something in her chest snap.

She let out a long, shuddering breath, and she could not help but wonder if that was the sound of a heart breaking, the sound of _her_ heart breaking.

Quietly, she slipped back through the shadows of Rivendell, making her way back to where she'd put her horse, gently shushing him with a hand on his muzzle as he gave a soft nicker at her arrival. She slid into the saddle with ease, and just as she turned to go she gently rested her hand protectively over her stomach.

No…she would not forget him.

And she disappeared into the night, slipping back into the dark edges of Rivendell…nothing more than a memory.

* * *

**Part 1/?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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Lord Elrond stepped off of the boat, and he marveled at the fact that the shores had not seemed to have changed, though forty years had passed. He had vowed to himself that he would never return…yet return he had.

Elidea had never left his mind, and he hoped against hope that she might still be alive.

No one knew that he was here.

He had come in secret, knowing that to make his presence known would only invite danger.

He had only one reason for being there and one reason alone. He wanted to find her. No…he _needed_ to find her. He needed to find her and tell her that he could not live without her, that the past forty years had been painful for him and that no one came close to meaning as much to him as she did.

He headed for Rivendell, first, hoping to find a sign of her there.

As he arrived, he again noted how little had changed since he and his people had left it. The wild had not yet overtaken it.

He walked down the familiar paths and followed them to the walkway where he'd said his last goodbyes to Elidea…where he'd last held her.

His hand brushed against the wall, much like it had the last time that he'd been there. He relished the familiar feel, but at the same time ached to be holding her instead of simply recalling the sensations of touching her skin.

He wandered for several hours, but could no sign of anyone being there since he'd left.

Going back to where his horse was waiting, he carefully probed his memory, trying to think of any place else that she might be, other than with her family in the north.

He was hesitant to go north, as he knew what dangers lurked there, and that many of them were hostile to the Elves.

But he also knew that she was most likely in Ered Mithrin, the Grey Mountains. A place he'd only been once in his long, extensive lifetime. He could only remember miserable rain and not being dry for several days in a row. He did not want to go…but he had to. For her. It had been her home and where she would go back to.

As he journeyed, he kept his hood up and disguised his voice, hiding his identity. Being one of the Elven Lords, he was bound to draw attention should anyone realize that he was back in Middle Earth.

Elidea could very possibly still be alive…she would be in her eighties, but look to be in her forties. She _was_ alive; he could feel it in his bones.

But would her heart still be his?

He remembered some of her last words to him… _"My heart is yours. _ Ilyamenie_._"

She had promised him forever, and he had promised the same to her, words that were not taken lightly. When Lord Elrond made a promise, he kept it, and he had. His heart was forever in her hands. But the question remained…was her heart _still_ in his?

The journey was long, taking more than a few days, and he had a few brief delays as the weather was not permitting at times, making difficult or nigh onto impossible to travel.

Finally, he arrived, his body tired, but his mind fiercely alert.

The royal hall was large and grand, and he was surprised to be so readily welcome, as he'd kept his hood up and his face hidden.

Two men welcomed him at the gates to the city and offered to find him lodging, which he gracefully accepted, and then asked…

"Where might I find a woman by the name of Elidea?"

At this question, the man who'd been about to take his horse to the stables suddenly stopped and shared a look with the guard who stood next to the Elvish lord. The man shifted on his feet, looking down at the ground and then back to the stranger.

"The Lady Elidea is, of course, at the Hall. If you wish, you may announce yourself and she will decide whether or not to receive you," said the guard next to him.

He could see the respect they had for her in the way they spoke her name, in hushed and reverent tones.

Elrond nodded, and slipped up past them to walk the path to the Hall.

He had seen it as he'd approached the city, the stone walls reaching high towards the mountains behind it, its presence a powerful and strong one, undiminished by the fact that it had started to rain yet again, and storm clouds seemed to sit right above it, bearing down on the massive stone court.

His leather boots made no sound on the floor as he passed through the doors into the royal hall.

It wasn't silent, but as he made his way to the central hall, passing by those who worked in the court, the sounds of human interaction diminished from loud, loose, carefree, and casual conversation, to whispers that drifted on the air for a mere breath before finding their way into the ears of the few people that were huddled close together, papers in their hands, their eyes much more sharp and almost accusing as they watched him pass through.

Everything was immaculately clean, as well as every_one_, and he became aware of the fact that the mud that clung to the hemline of his cloak and caked his shoes was distinctly not welcome.

But then he heard a voice that, for some strange reason, seemed familiar…

"Let King Aragorn know that we are more than willing to help, but we have few men, and I'd like to see that they have rest between their raids."

A low voice answered, "Yes, sir," and then he saw a man disappear down a narrow hallway off of the room where he stood. He could only see the man from the back, but he could tell that he was young…only in his twenties.

Long black hair tangled over his shoulders, and when he turned, Lord Elrond found himself looking into eyes that he would recognize anywhere.

They were _her_ eyes.

_So_, he thought to himself. _She _has_ moved on._ She'd obviously found someone, as she had a son.

He started to turn away, but the young man's voice rang out, a tone of authority lacing his words in such a way as to command the Elven lord's attention.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Lord Elrond kept his face cloaked, but let his voice ring out, feeling the need to voice his own authority, not letting himself be run over by a young man. He squared his shoulders as he spoke, straightening his spine so that he was at his full height, which was usually intimidating to most men, but he found that the young man was practically his own height.

"I am here to see the Lady Elidea. Who are you?"

The young man did not answer his question, instead his hand going to the sword at his waist, his eyes flashing accusingly.

"Remove your hood and let me see your face stranger, else I remove it for you," he said, his voice low and dangerous, and Elrond could see the man's fingers tighten on the hilt of his weapon, a clear sign of how he meant to remove the hood.

Slowly, Elrond brought his hands to the edges of the hood…and let it drop.

The young man gave him a slow look his eyes narrowing.

"Have we met before…?"

Elrond shook his head, and slowly came to the realization that there was something else that was disturbingly familiar about the man in front of him. His bone structure was finer than that he'd seen of Men from the northern lands, his weight on his feet more light.

Almost as though he had…no, it was impossible.

Quickly, he turned his face, but then the young man stepped forward, dropping his hand from the sword.

"I am Elros, son of Elidea. Now I ask for _your_ name, stranger."

Elrond froze. The man could not have said what he had just said; it was not possible. That name…he knew that name intimately. But why did this man have it? How had he come by it? Elrond then slowly realized that he had said that he was Elros, son of _Elidea_. He had not given his father's name, but his mother's. Did he have no father?

Quickly, he responded.

"I am Elrond, son of Eärendil." He tilted his head towards him, a show of respect, and Elros returned it. "I wish to speak to Lady Elidea."

He gave Elrond a long look, unsure of how to take the man in front of him; whether or not he should take him at his word…but then he relented and motioned his head towards him in deference.

"Follow me."

With long strides that quickly carried him away, Elrond followed, unable to not notice the fact that the man moved just as lightly on his feet as he did. His stride was as long as Elrond's as well, but his bearing was slightly heavier in the shoulder.

Soon, they were in what Elrond assumed to be the throne room, and Elros lifted a hand towards him.

"Stay here."

He then walked further into the throne room and approached a woman from behind, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, wordlessly asking her to turn around. She had dark hair, and as she turned, he suddenly recognized who it was.

She was several years older, but it was still her.

Elidea.

Their eyes caught, and though he couldn't hear her, he could see her chest rise as she drew in a sharp breath. Slowly, with a hand outstretched, she walked towards him, not noticing the look of confusion that cross her son's face.

"It can't be…?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it sounded as loud as thunder to his ears.

Before anyone could react, she had lunged forward and her arms were around him; in gentle reciprocation, his slid around her waist, holding her a carefully as he could.

He could feel her crying into his neck and he wanted nothing more than to lift her head and kiss away every single tear, but he was very aware of the fact that nearly every eye in the room was on them, but he couldn't help but feel a bit selfish, tightening his hold for a brief second around her waist.

He slowly let her go, giving a nod to her son behind her, and then whispered into Elidea's ear.

"We should talk."

She nodded, lifted a hand to her face and quickly brushed away the hot trails of wetness that tracked down her cheeks. She then turned her head and motioned to Elros, who stepped forward and she lovingly patted a hand against his chest and said, "I would like to walk with this man for a few minutes…alone."

She gave him a pointed look, and Elros simply nodded and turned towards the two guards who had been lingering nearby the entire time.

They left, but just before she departed she briefly wrapped her arms around her son's shoulders, giving him a hug, and whispered into his ear…

"I will explain…I promise."

And with that, she let Elrond take her arm and escort her to just beyond the room, where they could walk along one of the many covered pathways that surrounded the massive structure. He was still trying to realize that she was here, that she was real; that it was _her_ hand on his arm.

They said nothing for the longest time, simply basking in each other's presence. She finally broke the silence.

"What are you doing here, Elrond?"

He turned to her, lifting a hand to her face, running his fingers down her jawline.

'I would think that the answer to that question is apparent," he said, his voice low and promising, giving her a look with a raised brow.

She ducked her head, feeling her cheeks burn at the warm sincerity and hopefulness of his words. He had always been able to put so much meaning into a few simple short words, and she both loved and hated him for it. How easily he could make her blush.

Elidea lifted her eyes back up to his, and he could see that she was older…but she was still as beautiful to him as she was the day that they had parted.

His fingers slid down to her neck, caressing the soft skin that he found there and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he saw and heard her react to his touch with a sharply drawn in breath.

Gently, she put her fingers over his and pulled his hand away, holding it tightly in her own fingers.

"That's not an answer," she said, her tone low and serious, and he felt his chest tighten in response to her words, and he quickly replied, his tone biting and scathing as he did.

"Why do you _think_ I came back, Elidea? I came back for _you!_ Only for you…" His voice drifted and he gave her a look full of pain and he saw her eyes darken slightly as he then said, "But it seems that you have moved on. Your son…who is his father?"

At this question, she abruptly pulled away from him, her posture becoming defensive, and he immediately worried.

Was the man dangerous? Had he hurt her? Had he tried to hurt Elros? What on earth would make her react this way to such a simple question?

He reached out for her arm, but she pulled back, her eyes clouded over, almost as though she were recalling a painful memory, and all he could think about was what he could do to ease her pain. What he could do to remove that look from her face.

Finally, she said, "If I tell you, do you promise not to hate me?"

"Hate you?" he asked her, confused. "How could I ever hate you?"

She let out a short, painful bark of laughter and gave him a look that had his heart aching for her all the more.

"You'd be surprised how easy it might come to you, my love…you'd be surprised."

He merely reached back out to her and took both of her hands in his, trying to convey to her that he would love her no matter what she might tell him. That he was prepared for the answers that she was to give him; that he could endure it.

"Please, Elidea…tell me."

Her gaze turned soft, and she said, "Do you remember the day you left?" He nodded and she continued. "Yes, well…so do I…" She turned slightly, though her hands were still in his and then she continued to speak, her voice impossibly soft.

"There was so much that I wanted to tell you that day…so much that I wish that I could have said. However, this was the hardest to keep from you…"

She looked up at him and he was surprised by the naked honesty in her gaze.

"You see, Elrond…_you_ are his father."

* * *

**Part 2/?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

There was a long period of silence, and then it was ended by the sound of his throat struggling to form words, choking on them, unsure of how to react. Finally, he managed to say,

"How…how could you not tell me?"

Elidea shook her head and gave him another sad look.

"It's fairly simple reasoning, actually," she said, her tone just as sad as the expression on her face. "You see, if I told you I was pregnant and you _stayed_, then I would have forever thought that the only real reason you stayed was not for me, but for the child. If I told you I was pregnant and you _left_, then I would have assumed that you left _because_ of the child…either way, Elrond, it would have put doubt in my mind of your intentions and of your love for me. Do you understand?"

Her eyes pleaded with him, begging him to understand.

Several long minutes passed, the silence stretching between them like the tenuous string of a spider's web, in danger of being broken by the slightest breeze. The sound of the rain on the stone above them echoed loudly; a steady, reassuring beat.

He snapped the thread with three simple words.

"Yes…I understand."

Those three words were enough for her, and she wrapped her arms around him once more, needing to feel him against her after so many long years bereft of his presence.

She pressed herself to him, and a huge sense of relief washed through her as she felt his own arms fit tightly around her waist, holding her as close to him as was physically possible. She longed to draw back and kiss him, but she withheld the impulse, savoring what little bit of him she had.

After several long minutes, he gently pulled back, reaching up a hand to her face, brushing back an errant lock of hair out of her eyes.

Finally, he said, "Elros seems to have taken after you, _kalian en' coia. _ He has your eyes."

She ducked her eyes, averting her gaze, a smile stretching across her lips, but then she lifted her eyes back up to his, reflecting his previous actions by gently brushing a lock of hair from his face, as well.

"Perhaps," she whispered. "But he has much of his father in him, I am sure."

"Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "In what way?"

She let out a small laugh.

"He's dedicated, loyal, fiercely independent…" She let the words linger for a moment, her fingers gently twining through a lock of his hair before adding, "As well as stubborn as a dwarf." His amused gaze turned into a glare and she let out a true laugh this time, her eyes laughing as well. "Oh, you're the same as when you left, Elrond…easy to push."

He realized what she was doing and let a real smile cross his mouth and then in a sudden movement, he leaned down and caught her unsuspecting lips in an ardent kiss.

She was taken aback by the kiss at first, but then melted into it, feeling a slow warmth uncurl low in in her belly, like a snaky, fiery coil of flame that stoked the fires inside of her long since forgotten.

He was as real to her as he'd been forty years ago…and it seemed his love for her had not abated in the least.

His hands moved down from her shoulders, sliding down across her back, his fingers wrapping themselves tightly around her waist, drawing her hips firmly against his. She felt her own hands sliding up into his hair, one around the back of his neck, the other one relishing in the feel of his silky locks in her fingers.

It had been so long, and yet it suddenly felt as though no time had passed between the two of them.

He was here.

He was_ here_.

Slowly, _ever_ so slowly, they pulled back from the kiss, their lips still brushing, neither of them seemingly willing to let go of the moment that they'd created between the two of them. A moment that was too precious for words, which was why they still clung fiercely to the other, their hands not leaving their respective places.

She broke the silence, her words more breath than sound.

"Would you like to meet your son properly?"

He nodded, resting his head against hers, his arms still firmly wrapped around her waist.

"Yes…yes, I would."

Keeping his arms around her waist, they walked from the outer walkway back to the throne room, neither of them pulling away from the other, both intent on maintaining physical contact for as long as possible.

He felt the looks upon them, but ignored them.

He let her pull away as she headed over towards Elros, who stood to the side of the room, softly conversing with some men who looked to be soldiers of high rank; quite possibly, they were the soldiers that he had been speaking of to the messenger that Elrond had seen him speaking to when he'd first arrived.

He watched as she gently pulled her son to the side and dismissed the soldiers with a courteous nod of her head.

She wielded her power and rule so effortlessly; it suited her.

Elidea then walked back over to him, her hand on her son's arm, and then when they were all close enough, she whispered, "Let's go someplace private. I do not wish to have this conversation here, amidst these ever-listening walls."

She said the last part pointedly, casting her eyes carefully to the sides of the room and then back to the two of them.

They nodded and they followed her out of the room, down a smaller hallway that led to the private chambers of the royal family.

As soon as they were alone, she reached her hands out to both of them, gently squeezing them, and then dropped her hand from Elrond and turned to her son, grasping both of his hands in her own, looking him square in the eye.

"Elros," she said, her voice low, her tone serious. "I have something very important to tell you, and I need you to listen carefully."

He nodded and she continued.

"I know that you've always wondered who your father was, or is, and I know that I have told you very little…but now, I can tell you the truth of where you come from."

Elidea glanced back to Elrond and he gave her a faint nod, and so she looked back at her son.

"My son...you are Elros, son of Lord Elrond."

Both Elrond and Elidea saw the shock appearing on Elros' face, and they waited with baited breath to see how he would react to such news. Would he rant and rave, claiming that it wasn't possible? Would he go silent and ignore it, wishing for a different father? Or would something entirely different happen?

There was a long, indefinite pause…and then a slow smile appeared on the young man's lips.

"That explains it," he said enigmatically.

His mother and his now known father gave him an odd look at his response, and Elros chuckled, and then explained.

"He is the only man who has not been intimidated by me. When we met, he looked me dead in the eye and did not waver…only a father could stand down his own son in such a gaze." He then gave him a broad smile, the first sign of light on the young man's face that he'd seen, and then said, "I am proud to be your son, Lord Elrond."

Feeling bold at the positive response, Elrond stepped forward and placed a hand on Elros' shoulder.

"And I am proud to be your father, Elros."

Neither of them noticed that silent tears of joy were streaming down Elidea's face.

* * *

**Part 3/?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Elrond slowly stirred, feeling slightly disoriented, but then remembered the night before, and rolled over in the sheets to see a brunette lying beside him in the bed, her hair strewn across the pillow, a hand drawn up towards her face.

He propped himself on one arm, gently ran a finger down the soft curve of her face, and then lovingly traced her lips.

Could he ever leave her again?

He wasn't sure that he had it in his heart to desert her. But he knew that it was dangerous to stay in Middle Earth when his daughter was there. He could not let her know that he was there, for he knew that it would only cause problems.

Ignoring his maudlin thoughts, he gently pressed his lips to her forehead and lay back down in the covers next to her.

One night was not enough for him, and he knew it; he wanted forever.

He watched as her eyes fluttered open and a smile crossed her lips at seeing him in her bed.

"You're really here," she said, reaching out a hand towards his face, still not quite able to believe that he was really there. "I was afraid that it was all merely a dream."

He returned her smile, grasped her hand in his own and then pressed his lips against the palm of her hand, both of them relishing in the physical contact. It truly felt as though they were in a dream; both of them were there, they were both happy, and they were together…and he and Elros had accepted each other.

It was more than she could have ever dreamed in her life. Considering she'd never even dreamed of him coming back, it was a miracle.

She moved under the covers and pressed her back to his front, so that he gently spooned her, and wrapped her arms over one of his, where it lay against her stomach.

"I am no dream," he whispered into her ear, his lips brushing lightly across her skin.

She leaned further back into his embrace, tilting her head slightly, allowing him to capture her lips in a soft, unassuming kiss. They held it for several seconds, and then slowly pulled apart. He stared at her, and then pulled his hand from hers to trace his fingers once more down the side of her face.

"Do you remember…" He paused, as did his hand, but then continued, finishing tracing the line of her jaw as he said, "…when we first met?"

A fond smile graced her lips at his question.

"How could I forget?"

They shared a moment, both of them remembering that fateful day…

* * *

_Lord Elrond stepped into the main hall of the kingdom of Rohan, feeling slightly out of place. His elegant robes seemed almost too bright amidst the colors of green, brown, and subdued gold. A great kingdom it was, but rich it was not._

_He greeted King Théoden with a nod and both men tilted their head towards one another in a sign of respect for each other's titles._

"_Lord Elrond…Lord Deonnyn will be joining us shortly. I was told by a messenger that he would be delayed slightly."_

_Elrond nodded, and followed King Théoden through the hall to where the meeting would be held. Both he and Théoden had just settled themselves when a man wearing a mud covered cloak suddenly arrived, flinging the doors open wide, several cloaked men trailing behind him._

"_Lord Elrond, King Théoden…pardon my abruptness, but I was afraid to be any later than I was inevitably going to be."_

_They quickly deduced that this man was Lord Deonnyn Aclarin, the leader from the __Dúnedain_ in the North, and both were slightly surprised.

_Both Lord Elrond and King Théoden had heard that Deonnyn was a man of great manners and was known for his regal bearing, as well as for his soft, yet commanding voice. This did not seem to be the man that they saw in front of them. However, just as Théoden was about to object to the man's rudeness, suddenly, Lord Deonnyn turned from them and removed his travel cloak, and handed it to one of the men that had followed him in, who had removed his hood. In fact, all of the men had now removed their hoods, save one._

"_I am truly sorry," he said again, but this time when he turned to face them he gave them both a sheepish smile, but neither could say a word for the man was resplendent._

_Underneath his cloak, he wore black leather breeches, matching boots, and a dark blue tunic covered in extremely fine pale gold sigils, and not a bit of his clothes had been touched by the elements. A long sword hung in a broad leather scabbard that was slung low on his waist._

_He then motioned to the person that was still cloaked, and they both heard him whisper…_

"_You can let them see you, now."_

_The cloaked person dropped their hood and then undid the clasp at their throat…and Elrond found himself captivated by the sight before him. It was a young woman who looked no more than nineteen, and she wore an outfit similar to Lord Deonnyn's, with the exception being that it was in the form of a dress._

_She had long, dark brown hair that was tangled over her shoulders, obviously from riding without covering her hair, and her face was still slightly flushed from the exertion of the ride._

_The practical square neckline to her dark blue and pale gold dress was flattering on her, but as Lord Elrond's eyes drifted downward, he saw that she wore a sword at her side, just as all the other men did, as well as a small dagger on her other hip, and he watched as her free hand briefly closed around the hilt of the sword, her fingers seemingly caressing the metal, and it was obvious to both of the leaders that she was very comfortable with it._

_The man who had taken the Lord's cloak, now took hers as well._

_Her wary eyes swept over the room, and Elrond could feel when her gaze crossed over him. It was indifferent, the same as her look towards the King, but she hesitated a moment longer on him, looking down and then looking back up, almost as though she had seen him before, though she hadn't._

_Why she reacted in such a way, however, was something that he did not know._

_But the question still remained…who _was_ she?_

"_My Lord Elrond and King Théoden…may I introduce my daughter and heir to my throne?" Lord Deonnyn's voice was much lower and softer than before, and Elrond could now see the man that had been described to him several times over._

_Both the Elvish lord and the King of Rohan stood from the chairs that they had not moved from since the Lord had arrived, both of them frozen at the strange actions of the man, and they stepped forward to greet her._

_First, Deonnyn introduced her to the king._

"_King Théoden, my daughter, the Lady Elidea." She gently extended her hand and deigned a respectful nod in his direction._

"_King Théoden…very pleased to finally meet you," she said softly, but with the same low commanding tone as her father, and Elrond could already tell from those few words that she was most likely a force to be reckoned with._

_The King merely lifted her hand with his and feigned a kiss to the back of her hand, as was custom._

"_And I, you, Lady Elidea."_

_She nodded once more, gave him a small curtsy, and then turned back to her father who now introduced her to the Elvish lord._

"_My Lord Elrond, my daughter, the Lady Elidea…"_

_Catching her gaze with his own, he gently clasped her hand in his and leaned down in a partial bow, lifting her hand to his lips, never breaking contact with her eyes, which he could now see were an intense miasma of green and hawk-colored gold._

_Feeling bold, he pressed a kiss to her fingers and then said in a low voice,_

"_I am very pleased to have made your acquaintance, Lady Elidea."_

_He saw her take a sharp breath in when his lips touched her skin, and a faint flush crossed her cheeks, one that had nothing to do with her ride to the kingdom of Rohan._

_Though no one else might have noticed it, her heard the slight quaver in her voice as she replied, "And I, you…Lord Elrond."_

_And at the moment he heard his name roll off of her tongue, he knew that she was something special. That there was something in her that hadn't found in any woman ever since his wife, Celebrian, had died so many years ago._

_She was someone special…_

* * *

**Part 4/?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Elrond woke up again, but this time to the midday sun streaming through the far window and to a faint knocking on the door. He felt Elidea shift beside him, and then she rolled over on her side to face the door and said, "Yes? Who is it?"

"It is Camryn, milady," a soft, feminine voice said. "I was told by Lord Elros to tell you that King Aragorn is here and wishes to speak with you."

At hearing this, Elidea bolted up, the sheets wrapped firmly over her chest, her eyes wide with panic.

"W-What did you say, Camryn?"

The lady in waiting repeated herself and Elidea turned her now frightened eyes on the man in bed next to her, her gaze turning apologetic, as well as slightly concerned at the news that she had just unexpectedly received.

Quickly, she replied back with, "Tell my son that I will be there as soon as I can."

"Yes, milady."

They heard her soft footsteps leading away, and Elrond sat up in the bed next to her, sheets falling to his waist, placing a comforting and reassuring hand on her bare shoulder, gently tracing a line down her back with the other as he attempted to relax her and ease her sudden tension.

"Elidea…" She looked at him. "Do you want me to leave?"

She shook her head and lifted a hand and gripped the fingers on her shoulder tightly.

"No…no, don't leave. Please…I need you here."

He simply nodded and returned her gesture, gently squeezing her hand with his, his eyes soft and unassuming. He then leaned in and dropped his lips to her fingers, pressing a gentle kiss against them, a mere caress of his mouth on her skin.

She gave him a soft smile in return and then let out a long sigh.

"I…I have to get ready." He nodded, and then a slightly embarrassed look crossed her face as she then said, "And I, I have to bathe…"

She dropped her eyes, but he moved his hand from hers and used his fingers to gently lift her face back up to his, holding her gaze, a smile across his lips.

"Yes…I believe we _both_ do."

The soft smiles on both of their countenances soon turned to satisfied, almost feral grins as they remembered their night together. It had been as though no time had passed between them at all, and they had remembered each other's bodies easily, taking their time to drive the other person to the edge of insanity with the slowness of their lovemaking.

It had been perfect.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious of the fact that she was naked beneath the sheets, she reached for the extra blanket on the end of the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders before standing up and walking towards the door that led to her private bathing chambers, a luxury that they only had because of the natural hot springs up on the mountain.

Elrond watched her as she walked across the broad expanse of the room, a faint smile on his lips.

She was still his…and he was still hers. It was a heady feeling, one he wasn't entirely sure that he could deal with properly.

For all of his thousands of years of experience, she was still the unexpected for him, which was a strange experience all on its own.

He watched her disappear into the bathing room and then leaned forward, bending his knees beneath the blanket and propping his arms on them, continuing to cast glances to the door that she'd gone through, and then he heard…

"Elrond, am I going to have to do this alone? I can't reach my back on my own, you know…"

He could hear the grin in her voice and a matching one appeared on his lips. This was about to be a most enjoyable morning.

* * *

Afterwards, he took no time at all to draw his clothes over his head and smiled as she groaned in frustration, wearing nothing but a dressing robe.

"My ladies will have to help me get ready, as I am never to go out without being properly prepared, _especially_ in front of the King…I'm sorry, but if they find you here…well…"

She couldn't finish her sentence, but he merely nodded and grasped her head gently between his hands and placed a loving kiss on her forehead, giving her a reassuring smile, letting her know that he was not in the least bit upset and that he completely understood.

"It is alright, Elidea…I will meet you after."

She sighed in relief and gave him a brief nod…but then an idea occurred to him, and he voiced it.

"Elidea…if it would be of assistance, I can go and meet the King myself, and tell him that you will be along shortly."

Her eyes widened in shock at his suggestion, but he could also see some faint relief. He knew that she did not like to keep the King of Middle Earth waiting on her simply because she had taken her time enjoying the company and attentions of one man.

"I…That would be lovely, Elrond, but are you sure…?"

He nodded.

"Yes, I am sure. Besides," he added, brushing a lock of damp hair from her face, loving the slightly bewildered look in her eyes. "It was bound to happen, I suppose. Estel and I were bound to meet each other again…that is one thing that I am certain of."

Elidea said nothing, unsure of how to respond to his words, but he simply gave her another one of his soft smiles that seemed to make everything seem alright.

"I will meet him, and we will talk. And we will see you when you arrive."

She nodded and was surprised when he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips and then swept out of the room. For a moment, she was worried about him being seen…and then she remembered: he was an elf. He could hide himself easily enough if he wanted to.

Feeling nervous, and yet comforted, she sat down on the end of her bed and began to slowly comb out her hair, waiting for her ladies to come and help her dress.

Oh, she loathed the process, and longed to wear simple gowns without constricting corsets and simply walk the grounds as she had when she was several decades younger…but she was now the leader of her people and was expected to take certain duties aboard.

Elidea let out a long sigh, and looked to the door that her lover had just left through.

_Stay safe_, she whispered in her mind…and she waited.

* * *

**Part 5/?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Elrond swept through the halls of the palace, keeping himself to the shadows, and kept a careful eye on the people that passed by him.

Meeting Aragorn after all this time…well, it would be interesting.

He slipped by, keeping himself hidden for as long as he needed to be. He emerged in the front hall, still in the shadows, and then saw him. Aragorn. The man who was now King of Men. A man that Elrond himself had seen as a boy, running along the pathways of Rivendell.

He stood proudly, regally, and Elrond was glad to see him.

Wasting no more time, he stepped forward out of the darkness and strode over to him, and watched as Aragorn slowly realized who was standing in front of him.

"My Lord Elrond…? It cannot be…"

"And yet it is, Estel."

Those five words were enough to break the stillness between them, and Aragorn stepped forward and pulled him into a hug, which Elrond slowly returned, still taken aback after all these years by Aragorn's forward nature.

Slowly, Aragorn retreated from the embrace, and stood back at an arm's length, staring at the elven lord before him, still not quite believing what he was seeing.

"You are here…but why are you here? Why have you returned?"

Elrond was quiet for a long moment, and then motioned for Aragorn to follow him. The King did, and they moved to the side of the hall, out of range of prying ears and eyes.

Elrond spoke in low tones, explaining what was going on.

"The Lady Elidea is delayed at the moment, and wished me to come and tell you that she will be with you as soon as she is able." He paused as he saw Elros enter the room, but continued. "Some…secrets have come to light, and she wishes to be the one to tell you. I am merely a messenger. All will be revealed in time."

Aragorn was silent, and then their silence was broken by Elros approaching the two of them and placing a hand on the King's shoulder.

"King Aragorn…it has been years since I've seen you."

Aragorn nodded.

"Yes…last I saw you, you were a mere twenty-three. For forty years old, you look quite well, Lord Elros."

Elros ducked his head in embarrassment, but a small smile of contentment crossed the corner of his lips. He motioned for the two of them to follow him, and so they did, following him down the spacious halls to a private room.

Within a few moments, Elidea appeared through a door on the far wall, looking resplendent in dark blue, her brown hair artfully styled to beautifully frame her face. Elrond let his eyes linger on her for a brief moment, but not for too long as there were others in the room.

"My King…how may I help you today?"

He gave her a slight bow and then gently reached for her hand and bestowed a gentle kiss on it.

"Lady Elidea. It is good to see you again, though I wish it that I bore better news for you and your kin." She looked confused, so he quickly explained. "The lands that we have been trying to save…they have been burned to the ground by the enemy. I thought that I should be the one to deliver the news."

She went pale, and fearing for her, Elrond moved to her side and put a supporting arm around her shoulders, and she sank into him gratefully.

Aragorn noticed this, but said nothing, waiting for her response.

Finally, she leaned back onto her own feet and said, "That is grievous news, indeed, my King."

The two men and one elf waited for her to say something more, but she remained silent, her eyes dark and weary with the news that she had received. She'd had friends in those lands, and it was sad to realize that they were lost and gone.

She walked over to the king and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for coming to tell me of the news yourself." She paused, and then said. "I am most grateful for it."

She then turned her head towards her son.

"Elros, be prepared to tell the court what has happened…I need to spend some time with King Aragorn and Lord Elrond alone."

Elros nodded and then left the room, leaving behind him a slow building tension that filled the room, and he was silently glad to longer be a part of it. It made him uneasy, and even though he loved his mother and was worried about her after receiving the news, he would leave her to deal with it in her own manner.

As soon as her son was gone, she turned towards Elrond and walked over to him, pressing her head into his shoulder, needing his comfort, and Aragorn's eye was not pulled away from the sight.

He would wait and be patient.

Elrond had said that all would be explained in time, and he could wait.

After a few long moments, she pulled away and then turned back to Aragorn and said, "You deserve to know." He waited and she then continued. "Lord Elrond arrived only yesterday, and he arrived for one purpose…to see me."

He waited for the rest, but was surprised when Elrond spoke up instead of her.

"Aragorn…do not judge me for what I am about to say, but please understand that it must needs be said."

Aragorn nodded, and waited for Elrond to continue. He did.

"Lady Elidea was, and _is_, my love. She is also my heart…and, as I have only recently found out as of yesterday, the mother of my son, Elros."

Aragorn's eyes had slowly widened with each word that left Elrond's lips, but then at seeing the naked honesty in the elf lord's eyes as he stared after Elidea, he knew that he was telling the truth, and his heart reached out to him.

He knew what it was like to have a love that could not be acted on over many years…a love he _still_ had not acted on.

He said nothing for a long time, and then said, "Congratulations. I could think of nothing greater than finding out that one is a father. I, too, have tasted of that joy…"

And with that statement, he was able to tell the elven lord that he had a grandson, while at the same time accepting what he had just been told. And he was also telling Elrond, in the very same words, that he did not judge him for loving a mortal and yet trying to deny Arwen's love of him.

Elrond nodded and said nothing more. Instead, he made his way over to Elidea and placed a loving hand on her shoulder.

Aragorn watched and turned to leave, but then stopped when he heard Elidea call out to him.

"King Aragorn, how long will you be staying?"

He partially turned and said, "A few days, no more."

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"That is good; for just before I came in, I was given word that Legolas Greenleaf heads this way with news, and that he is due by tomorrow, late afternoon."

At hearing that, Aragorn suddenly froze entirely, shocked to learn that one of his companions, one that he had not seen many, many years, was going to be where he was. He kept his expression neutral, but Elrond had already seen the emotion that had crossed the old Ranger's face.

Longing. Love.

Yes, it had been as he had suspected for many years. That his love for Arwen had diminished, but his love for the elven king had continued to burn at a low flame for these many years.

He had seen it when Estel and Legolas had first met, when Estel was a mere fifteen year old boy.

And now, he had the chance to heal a rift that never should have happened, save it for Aragorn's stubbornness that led him to marry out of honor and respect of Arwen's devotion, and nothing else. He deserved more than that.

"That is good to hear, my lady," he finally said. "It will be a kindness to see him again."

And with that, he left the room, leaving Elrond and Elidea together, alone.

She gently reached up with one hand and pulled him down and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"I love you," she whispered and he smiled.

"And I you."

They were alone, and they were happy. She was no longer the only one who knew of the truth and it made her heart feel lighter than it had felt in years…ever since she had first fallen in love with the elven lord.

They said nothing more.

* * *

**Part 6/?**


End file.
